1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a wireless personalized self service system that matches multiple users with multiple interests and, more particularly, the present invention provides components to match user interests, requests, and transactions against a database/archive to optimize user efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
Consumers presently spend a considerable amount of time shopping for essentials and luxury items. Typically, a consumer will prepare either a physical or mental shopping list of desired items prior to traveling to the store. The list will may contain the type of item needed and perhaps the preferred brand. However, the consumer often lacks the specific brand information needed to make a complete and accurate list describing the products to be purchased. Due to the incompleteness of the list, upon arrival at the appropriate store the consumer is presented with a variety of options related to the type and amount of each item on the list. The consumer must decide upon the brand of item, type of item (i.e. fresh, frozen, seasoned, plain, etc.), and the amount of the item needed. This process must be repeated for each item on the consumer's shopping list, and is not limited to the grocery store context.
Various websites allow consumers to create grocery lists by selecting categories of needed groceries. The selections are in turn sorted into a list that may be printed and will contain the needed items grouped into categories such as produce, meats, and toiletries. The printed list may state, for example, “Meats: Chicken, Ground Beef, Pork”. Although the list creating websites remove the need to handwrite the list, once the consumer arrives at the store, he or she is still faced with a wealth of decisions regarding the brand, type, and amount of the item.
Consumers face similar difficulties when creating lists of exhibits at a museum, rides at an amusement park, or any other similar situation. Each place of interest contains multiple options of which the consumer may be unaware:
Once a list has been finalized to the extent possible, and prior to the consumer's departure for the store, a particular store or stores must be located. The consumer may consult a telephone book or may simply visit a local store with which he or she is already familiar. Consumers that are unfamiliar with their local geographic area may have difficulty locating a store that offers the needed products. This problem will become more apparent to consumers that are traveling or otherwise away from home and in need of a store in close proximity to their current location.
Once the consumer has located a store or stores believed to possess the needed items, the consumer must identify where within the store the needed items are located. When a consumer desires to purchase yogurt, for example, the consumer must first locate the aisle containing yogurt. This often forces the consumer to wander through the store searching for the correct aisle. This can prove to be a daunting task, and may be further exacerbated by the ever-expanding size of many stores.
Grocery stores and large “super stores” have sought to decrease the amount of time consumers spend looking for items by grouping similar products together, labeling the aisles, and placing store directories on shopping carts. However, consumers may still have difficulty in determining the most efficient route of travel between aisles of a single store, or when traveling between multiple stores searching for additional items from their shopping list.
Despite modern advances in grocery store configuration, consumers still lack the ability to create a complete and accurate shopping list prior to arriving at the store. The consumer may also continue to have difficulty locating an appropriate store, and then locating items within the store and traveling between aisles and departments when looking for items from the shopping list. The above described manner of shopping consumes a significant amount of the consumer's valuable free time that could otherwise be better utilized.